Billberry Wine (1)

• 4 lbs fresh bilberries
• 1-3/4 lbs finely granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp acid blend
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• 1/4 tsp tannin
• 3-1/2 qts water
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• Burgundy wine yeast

Put water on to boil. Meanwhile, carefully inspect and wash the berries, discarding any that are neither sound nor fully ripe. Put berries in nylon straining bag and tie the top. In primary, crush the berries thoroughly. Pour half the sugar and all the tannin, yeast nutrient and acid blend in primary. Pour boiling water onto berries and stir well to dissolve sugar. Cover and set aside to cool. When lukewarm, add crushed Campden tablet and recover. After 12 hours, add pectic enzyme and recover. After additional 12 hours, add yeast. Ferment 5 days, stirring and gently squeezing bag to extract flavor, then add half the remaining sugar and stir well to dissolve. Ferment 2 additional days and drain (but do not squeeze) bag. Add remaining sugar, stir well to dissolve, and recover. After 24 hours, siphon juice off sediment into secondary, top up and fit airlock. Allow 3 weeks, rack, top up and refit airlock. After additional 60 days rack again. If wine is clear, bottle it. If not, wait until it clarifies and rack into bottles. Age one year. [Author’s own recipe]